Energy recovery system and method and polymerization plant with such a recovery system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for energy recovery and a polymerization plant having such a system comprising a. an exothermic device operating continuously (exothermic device interpreted as any apparatus able to produce heat and transfer it onto another body), b. a cooling device in fluid communication with said exothermic device, c. an endothermic device operating discontinuously (endothermic device interpreted as any apparatus able to receive heat from another body, i.e. to be heated); said system being characterized in that it comprises a device for the accumulation of the energy produced by the exothermic device in fluid communication with the discontinuous endothermic device, the exothermic device operating continuously and the cooling device using a service fluid.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the recovery of the energy developed in at least an exothermic polymerization reactor, operating continuously, said method comprising the following steps:
 i. heating a first service fluid by exploiting the energy developed by an exothermic polymerization section in a polymerization process for producing resins containing rubbers operating continuously, thus forming a first hot service fluid, 
 ii. sending said first hot service fluid to an energy accumulation device, 
 iii. extracting at least a second hot service fluid from the energy accumulation device and sending it, continuously, to a cooling section, or discontinuously, to an endothermic device operating discontinuously wherein endothermic processes occur, 
 
       wherein a third cold fluid, extracted from the endothermic device operating discontinuously wherein endothermic processes occur, is sent to the energy accumulation device. 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the endothermic device operating discontinuously wherein endothermic processes occur, is the solvent dissolution section of the rubber in the polymerization process for producing resins containing rubbers. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1  wherein the exothermic polymerization section has a temperature profile ranging from 80° C. to 160° C. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1  wherein the service fluid inside the energy accumulation device is at a temperature higher than or equal to 80° C. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1  wherein the polymerization process starts from styrene, ethylbenzene or a mixture of styrene, ethylbenzene and acrylonitrile.